Credit: Alan Moir
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Barnaby Joyce was voted into parliament as a member of the National Party. Resigning from that party, means that he is not representing those who voted for him in the way that won him that seat. Allowing him to do this is a weakness in our democracy. But he is not the only one who has done this. For instance, Lidia Thorpe although gaining a seat in parliament as an Australian Greens party member left the party and continues as an independent. She was not voted in as an independent, so she is not representing the people who voted for her.
If a parliamentarian feels they can no longer continue as a member of the political party that won them their seat, they should resign from parliament. Then the party to which they belonged should be able to choose someone to replace them. Then at the next election the new parliamentarian will have to face election like all the others.
Marguerite Marshall, Eltham
Which priorities will lure Joyce?
Barnaby Joyce has left the Nationals because of “what is really important″ to him (″MP’s 20-year stint of colour and scandal closed″, 28/11). It is not clear how his priorities differ from National Party policy, though his flirtation with One Nation implies that the Nationals are not far enough to the political right. The LNP wants cuts to migration numbers, One Nation by more. Joyce’s reference to the shortage of doctors in regional hospitals is strange, given so many medical jobs are done by migrants. Cost-of-living pressure is clearly important, but Joyce misses the point that climate change is already hurting farmers and consumers. Less reliable weather is having an impact on farm production and income. The National Party has a policy of limited emissions reduction. Does Joyce prefer Pauline Hanson’s view that severe droughts and flooding were more common prior to 1960?
John Hughes, Mentone
A politician for himself, first and foremost
Anyone who thought Barnaby Joyce would announce what he’s going to do in the future, doesn’t know Barnaby. He got a headline by announcing his resignation from the National Party and will continue to get more media from the inevitable speculation about where he may finally land. Why be satisfied with the exposure from one announcement, when you are able to choreograph the ongoing saga and get yourself multiple headlines?
While Joyce has many skills, both positive and negative, he has always been most consistent in putting his self-interest front and centre. Joyce is the epitome of the truism, ″In the race of human life, always back self-interest, because you know it’s trying.″
Ian De Landelles, Murrays Beach, NSW
Coming soon, the next episode
Waiting for Barnaby Joyce to make his announcement was like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now we await the next episode of the ″will he, won’t he″ saga regarding One Nation. Although I doubt too many will care.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
THE FORUM
The water wall is gone
With the opening of the Town Hall Station we get to see its visual impact at ground level. It is a visual cacophony of jarring elements while blocking the sight lines of St Paul’s Cathedral both in Swanston and Collins streets. That blockage would never be allowed in a city such as Paris which is proud of its cultural heritage.
The elegant minimalist curved glass canopy entrances by Norman Foster for the Bilbao Metro show what can be done. Here we get an enormous Meccano set of wide metal criss-crossing beams that supposedly represent the limbs of trees and a busy glass horizontal roof of metal beams. Worst of all is the loss of the much-loved water wall. The Mockridge Fountain by Daryl Cowley was a gem. Water rippling down the wall, swirling about as though in the wind. Now replaced by embedded digital lights on a smaller wall with AI-generated light patterns. The tactile pleasure of the natural world replaced by the artificial. This lost delight must be reinstalled elsewhere.
Malcolm Just, Kew
Off the rails
One morning this week I boarded a bus at 6.45 at Ballarat railway station. Buses replacing trains to Bacchus Marsh. No stops. Arrive at Bacchus Marsh, a bus full of people disembarked and started making their way to the Melbourne-bound train across the pedestrian bridge (platform 2). No one made it before the train departed. Thirty-six minute wait for the next train on platform 1. I arrived at Southern Cross at 8.55 – ridiculous for 100 kilometres. Someone needs to get real about our regional train system.
Tracey Marriner, Mount Pleasant
Insidious directive
When the US administration refers to an ″existential threat″ to Western society it is clearly not referring to the migration of Western people between Western countries perceived to share a common cultural heritage. Donald Trump’s government is tacitly referring to black, brown and other people of colour. In doing so it is dog whistling to far right proponents of the so-called ″white replacement″ conspiracy theory. This includes Australian neo-Nazi groups that are already becoming increasingly emboldened to raise their public profiles. The US directive to US embassies to gather data on crimes committed by people with ″migrant background″ is thus more insidious, intrusive and divisive than it might first appear.
Mark Summerfield, Northcote
Not ‘unanimous’ vote
The new leader of the Victorian Liberal Party opposition, Jess Wilson, may have stood for the position ″unopposed″. But when it came to the vote, her support was anything but ″unanimous″. Thirteen of the 32 Liberal Party parliamentary members voted against her. The party is still seriously divided, internally.
The electorate, historically, does not support political parties that are perceived as divided.
Michael Gamble, Belmont
Expiry date
Now he’s out of the National Party (“Cries of betrayal from Nationals as Joyce quits party”, 28/11), Barnaby Joyce is free to continue to represent himself and tread the footpath of his dreams. As a “retail politician”, he’s past his use-by date.
Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor
A gas farce
Ed Husic and most Australians (″Husic challenges Albanese over policy ambition″, 28/11) would be rightly enraged to find out that Japan was buying gas, that it did not need, at dirt-cheap prices and then onselling it at a tidy profit to other countries. When Australian gas consumers are facing ever increasing prices and supply shortages this idiotic situation cannot be allowed to continue.
Husic’s suggestion that supply to Japan be cut by the amounts it onsells, and clearly does not need, seems eminently sensible and would largely solve Australia’s domestic supply and cost problems. Sadly, it would require Anthony Albanese to have the courage to take on the gas giants, and that is unlikely.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
A win for the nation
It is a relief to finally see the adults in the room working together. By negotiating a deal with the Greens on federal environmental law reform, the Albanese government has shown it is willing to prioritise outcomes over political stalemate.
For too long, loopholes have allowed native forest logging and high-risk agricultural clearing to evade federal scrutiny, cementing our shameful status as a global deforestation hotspot. Closing these carve-outs is a victory for common sense and for the millions of Australians who have demanded better protection for our unique wildlife.
While the job isn’t finished – specifically regarding the drafting of iron-clad National Environmental Standards and ensuring First Nations rights – this agreement is a massive step forward. It proves that when Labor and the Greens stop fighting each other and start fighting for nature, the country wins.
Tim Singleton Norton, Reservoir
Trump, look inwards
Donald Trump should be more concerned about America’s gun laws, and the problems they cause, than investigating the number of crimes committed by migrants to Australia.
John Groom, Bentleigh
They do nothing
Two National Guards shot by a (legal) Afghan refugee sparks outrage from Donald Trump, and the MAGA movement, and 500 more guards will be sent to Washington. School shootings happen every few weeks, Trump and MAGA do nothing. This is America today under Trump: shameful, despicable.
Trevor Holland, Lower Plenty
Library disconnect
It is a shame that when the State Library will get greater prominence with the imminent opening of its own Metro station, that all visitors and regular patrons of this invaluable institution will be thinking about will be how much worse its services and environment will get when the savage proposed cuts to front-line staff are implemented. It is an indication of the disconnection of management with the actual function of a State (not merely public) Library, that they seem to regard it as just a building, not a cultural icon and resource for all Victorians.
Jon Saul, Coburg
Find our humanity
The humane response of Nat Abboud, Mayor of Merri-bek (″Number of empty homes surges amid housing crisis″, 27/11) to the shocking revelation so many homes are sitting vacant across Melbourne in a time of homelessness was in contrast to disappointing attempts by various council spokespersons to defend the indefensible in their area. The most shameful response was from the Victorian government spokesperson who ″cast doubt over the report’s methodology″.
We need to challenge the norms of profiteering in the housing market. Let’s push for accountability.
Susan Mahar, Fitzroy North
Putin’s war aims
Donald Trump is trying to bring about peace between Russia and Ukraine. He doesn’t realise that Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace – he wants Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed in this Russian invasion, as have many more Russians. Does Putin care about that? Not at all. Putin will continue killing Ukrainians and destroying their country until he can own Ukraine. And, in the meantime, he will enjoy playing Trump like a piano.
John Walsh, Watsonia
Hospital security risk
Hospital emergency staff under extreme time pressure cannot be expected to provide the immediate comprehensive care that would satisfy all patients and their families (″RMH forced to use public donations on security″, 28/11).
Until the state government funds hospitals adequately we must endure increasing aggression, and need for more security, in our hospitals. Fixing this is more important than funding infrastructure.
Dr Harley Powell, Elsternwick
Eyes passim
All these people ″passing″, (Letters, 28/11) makes me wonder who are they passing, or are they just passing by? Are they passing on the baton, or are they passing through to get somewhere else? Passing a test maybe? Parsing a sentence perhaps? I aim not to pass anyone when I leave this mortal coil but will go at my own steady pace.
Margaret Collings, Anglesea
Not our Joyce
What did the Senate do to deserve Barnaby?
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
AND ANOTHER THING
Barnaby Joyce
If Barnaby Joyce joins Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party should it be renamed Two Nations?
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Barnaby’s Joyce resignation from the National Party now completes his journey to irrelevance.
Bruce McMillan, Grovedale
A memo to Barnaby: no one really cares what you do.
Doug Shaw, Sunbury
To join One Nation does Barnaby have to supply his own burqa?
Pete Garfield, Echuca
I wonder if Barnaby Joyce will apologise to the people of New England who elected him at the May election as their National Party representative. Probably not.
Dorothy Galloway, Mentone
Politics
While the Coalition dithers, the Greens finally put ideological perfection aside and show some pragmatism on environmental laws.
Arthur Pritchard, Ascot Vale
Why do politicians start their answer with: “Look”?
Steve Barrett, Glenbrook, NSW
Has the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally realised that he is in power because Green voters gave his party their preferences at the last election?
Michael McCarthy, Eltham North
Furthermore
Columnist Shane Wright (Comment, 27/11) has it spot on about the rugby union Bledisloe Cup. Australia should concede permanently. If the cup still needs to be contested, let it be internally between the New Zealand North and South islands.
Patrick McNamara, Ivanhoe East
Now Melburnians can safely and quickly whiz around via the Metro tunnel do you think we might get our pothole-riddled roads fixed in country Victoria?
Rob Willis, Newlands Arm
The English cricket team should boycott Bazball.
Rob Evans, Glen Iris
Did you hear the terrible news that soccer legend Lionel Messi has passed? Yes, he should have had a shot himself.
Steve Higginbottom, Northcote